London based Cambridge Audio are launching the second generation of their hugely successful Minx Air wireless speakers. The Air 100 V2 and Air 200 V2 offer an improved, more rhythmic and musical sound they say, plus the addition of Spotify Connect and an update to the contemporary design. The updates build on their predecessors’ performance and ability to play music from just about any phone, tablet or computer

New to the V2 models are bespoke, Cambridge developed and patented 4^th generation BMR drivers – also found in the £1000 flagship Cambridge Aeromax 6 floor standing speaker – specially designed to produce a rich, smooth and wide, room-filling sound from a single product.

The use of an acoustically dampened, rigid cabinet eliminates vibration and distortion, maintaining clarity and detail. Whilst a custom-developed Class-D digital amplifier and a bass port hidden in the carry handle offers a performance that belies the relatively compact size of the speaker.

The new 4^th generation BMR drivers and an updated EQ offer a significant performance upgrade to the original Minx Air speakers, maintaining the power, depth and detail of the original model but adding a warmer and more natural musical performance – a sound now synonymous with Cambridge Audio products. 

The original Minx Air products featured a wealth of connectivity options including Apple Airplay, Apt-X Bluetooth and Internet Radio. The addition of Spotify Connect in the V2 models allows all Spotify Premium users effortless control of their Spotify music and playlists directly from the native Spotify App. Spotify Connect also allows users to continue to use their phone or tablet for calls or games away from the Minx Air V2 products, without interrupting the music.

Apple’s Airplay allows the Air V2 products to simply stream from an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, as well as computers with iTunes. Alternatively, high quality Apt-X Bluetooth offers streaming of up to CD quality music from any Bluetooth enabled phone, tablet or computer, for playback from popular services like BBC iPlayer Radio, YouTube and Last.fm.

Internet radio is also available at the touch of a preset button or by using the free Air App. Available for Apple or Android, the app lets users search and enjoy 20,000 stations from around the world. The Air App also offers volume adjustment, bass control and access to a range of EQ settings to tailor Air V2’s sound for any room.

Both Minx Air V2 systems also have good old-fashioned analogue sockets on the back (3.5mm aux-in and an RCA input) so you can hook up your TV or Blu-ray player.

Available in both white and black and with a new premium matt finish, they are sure to look the part in any living space.

The smaller Air 100 V2 uses a pair of 4” 4^th generation BMR drivers and 100W amplification for a room filling performance with plenty of punch. The larger cabinet of the Air 200 V2, however, houses a pair of 2.25” 4^th generation BMR drivers and a 6.5” subwoofer. This, combined with 200W amplification, enables the Air 200 V2 to fill even very large rooms.

Prices are £299.95 and £399.95.

Originally founded in 1981, Target Audio is a newly formed company now based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. Target pioneered the concept of high mass, high rigidity loudspeaker stands. Weighing up to 39 pounds (18 kgs.) per stand, Target products are manufactured in North America and each stand is constructed of hot-rolled steel, bolts securely together and is finished in a rugged yet attractive powder coat.

Target offers four lines of increasingly robust stands designed for compatibility with virtually all shelf and stand-mount loudspeakers — the FS Series (Firm Stand), the HS Series (Heavy Stand), the HR Series (High Rigidity) and the MR Series (Maximum Rigidity) — each series offered in 20, 24 and 28-inch heights. Black is the standard finish with White offered on a special order basis. Each stand includes threaded spikes and pads that isolate the speaker from the top plate. All Target stands can be filled with dry media such as sand or metal shot for superior resonance damping. Target stands are backed by a three year warranty.

“We recognized an opportunity to work with a manufacturer of quality products with a factory based right here in Ontario, Canada—and there seemed to be a natural synergy, especially with Bryston offering the Mini A and Mini T loudspeakers that work superbly with these rugged Target stands,” explained James Tanner, VP of sales at Bryston. “We are looking at expanding the Target offerings in the near future to include equipment stands and other accessories that will provide A/V speciality retailers with a comprehensive lineup of premium solutions for their customers.”

Cambridge Audio will seek to introduce new standards for audio performance, build quality and battery life to the premium Bluetooth speaker market with the introduction of the new G5 wireless speaker – available now, online and instore, priced at £229.

The G5 has an “elegant metal and leather exterior, superb sound quality and amazing battery life” says the company’s recent press release.

The use of a special stiff and inert composite material, extensive internal bracing and each driver mounted in its own dedicated sealed compartment ensures a “rattle free, crystal clear performance even at high volumes”.

Bluetooth (apt-X and AAC) allows using your phone or tablet, from apps or streaming. The unit is 121mm X 270mm x 55mm HxWxD and features 2 x 30mm mid/high drivers and a dedicated 60mm subwoofer plus two passive auxiliary bass radiators. Sound quality further benefits from Cambridge’s approach to volume control, where rather than simply cutting signal and creating ‘pumping’ or compression artefacts, the G5 has a different EQ setting for each and every volume step.

The G5 battery will last for 14 hours at the higher ‘Party’ Level (73db @ 1M) and well over 20 hours at the more normal ‘ambient’ level (70db) from a single battery charge. You can also charge your portable devices (phones, tablets etc.) via the G5 using the convenient USB port on the back of the product.

Available in champagne and white leather or gun metal and black leather, the G5 will beautifully fit into any environment, outside or inside, wherever you wish to take your music.

Bryston has announced today the introduction of the Model T Cinema reference home theatre in-wall loudspeaker. By leveraging key design cues from the flagship Model T floor-standing loudspeaker, Bryston has developed what they are saying is a “highly capable architectural speaker system for dedicated home theatre rooms”.

In order to achieve the desired performance goals from an in-wall speaker system, Bryston employed seven drivers in a three-way configuration capable of up to 120dB of output without dynamic compression. Bryston has placed the drivers on a robust baffle slightly forward of the wall’s surface, enabling the Model T Cinema to deliver a “more realistic soundstage, precise imaging and superb dynamic capabilities”.

“The Model T Cinema is a sealed design featuring an inert 1 ½-inch thick front baffle and solid ¾-inch back-boxes to ensure superb midrange and high-frequency detail along with unwavering control in the bass region while minimizing transmission of sound into other rooms,” explained Bryston’s James Tanner. “Our engineering team is working on compatible products such as an in-wall Cinema center, surrounds and subwoofers, providing theater designers and professional integrators with a complete in-wall system only available through authorized Bryston dealers,” said Tanner. All Bryston Cinema loudspeakers are covered by the company’s 20-year warranty.

Now on sale in the UK – Gibson Innovations presents the Philips BM5, the first product on the new Izzy multi-room platform.

Izzy combines the easy connection of Bluetooth with the robust networking and audio quality of Wi-Fi all at the push of a single button.

Just connect to one speaker via Bluetooth, and Izzylink will do the rest – no Wi-Fi router connection or passwords required. Izzy will automatically find and connect to all Izzy products in the home, so you can stream throughout, from room-to-room.

Philips Izzy allows you to listen to all the music from your favorite apps – with no restrictions – from any smartphone or tablet.

Philips Izzy BM5 

The compact multi-room Philips Izzy BM5 speaker has a simple user interface, attractive design and is available in two different colors.

The BM5 connects easily to your playback device using a Bluetooth connection and is equipped with two 2.5” full-range drivers and  integrated bass port.

Each individual speaker can be used either alone or paired with up to four other Izzy speakers by pressing the ‘Group’ button. No apps and no passwords are needed, so the BM5s can be used straight out of the box.

Further products featuring the Izzylink technology will follow including the BM50 CD+ flat micro allowing consumers to steam radio and CD through their other Izzy speakers.

The Philips Izzy BM5 is priced at £99.99

B &O are saying they like to think of the BeoLab 90 “as the future of sound”.

The BeoLab 90 celebrates 90years of the company and will cost a whopping £54 000  if reports are correct. They have an eye-watering 8200 watts per speaker (supplied by 14 channels of ICEpower amps….plus another 4 Class D amps) and  weigh in at a back-breaking 137 kilos each with the solid aluminium structure accounting  for 65 kilos of this.

Each speaker has 18 speaker drivers and the company’s mission was to “Create the perfect sound for the home, no matter what the circumstances”.

BeoLab 90 will include the company’s Active Room Compensation technology where they say “the sound will not be affected by resonances in your room and boundary effects from your walls, nor by your furniture, the placement of the speakers or where you’re placed” with the listener controlling the width and direction of the sound with Beam Width Technology…all from the remote or app, with users being able to save presets.

Inputs

Analogue (Master speaker)

Digital (Master speaker)

• Power Link
• RCA
• XLR (fully balanced)
• USB Audio (24 bit / 192 kHz)
• S/P-DIF (24 bit / 192 kHz)
• TOSLINK (24 bit / 96 kHz)

Wireless (Master and Slave speaker)

Digital (Master and Slave speaker)

• Wireless Power Link (24 bit / 48 kHz)
• WiSA (24 bit / 96 kHz)
• Digital Power Link (24 bit / 192 kHz)

Speaker drivers

Tweeter 7 x Scan-Speak Illuminator 30 mm

Midrange 7 x Scan-Speak Illuminator 86 mm

Woofer 3 x Scan-Speak Discovery 212 mm

Front Woofer 1 x Scan-Speak Revelator 260 mm

Amplifiers (custom designed for BeoLab 90)

For tweeters 7 x Bang & Olufsen ICEpower AM300-X

For midranges 7 x Bang & Olufsen ICEpower AM300-X

For woofers 3 x Heliox AM1000-1

For front woofer 1 x Heliox AM1000-1

Digital Signal Processor

DSP type

2 x Analog Devices ADSP-21489 – 450 MHz

Sampling rate

192 kHz fixed

These will be available from the 17^th of November 2015

Cabasse is launching the compact Surf loudspeakers for use with its Stream AMP, creating a complete audio system.

The 29cm high Surf is designed for a full and dynamic performance in rooms up to 25 m2 (270sq ft), with a soundstage that is said to be “incredibly stable and filled with realism”. When partnered with the DSP adaptive capabilities of the Cabasse Stream AMP, this bookshelf speaker can reproduce low frequencies down to 65Hz to an upper limit of 23kHz.

The DEAP (Digital Enhancement of Acoustic Performance) DSP capability of Stream AMP allows the user to specify which Cabasse speakers are being used when setting up Stream AMP with the Cabasse Stream CONTROL app. Inputting the the model and telling the system whether they are placed in corners, against the wall or in free space the DSP, developed from the system employed in the company’s flagship products, ensures the sound remains consistent and optimal.

The tweeter diaphragm utilised in Surf was created by Cabasse for the latest version of the 3-way co-axial TC23, which is fitted to the flagship La Sphère (one of the world’s best speakers we think here at Hifi Pig) and L’Océan.

The 13cm (5 in) driver unit contains a high excursion woofer, which is specifically designed by Cabasse for maximum mechanical rigidity and low frequency use. The voice coil, mounted on Kapton, is perfectly ventilated and has high power handling and excellent acceleration capabilities, producing a tight, fast and dynamic bass.

The measuring protocols used during development of the product in the Cabasse anechoic chamber take into account listening on axis and through 360° for perfect control of the directivity and global power output in keeping with the Cabasse HDSE principle (Homogeneous Distribution of the Sonic Energy).

Christophe Cabasse, marketing and sales director says, “The Surf speaker brings a whole range of benefits to the users, because for such a compact speaker it is capable of producing a similar sound quality to that heard on much larger products.” Christophe continues, “The generous frequency range from this bookshelf speaker and the DSP capability of the Stream AMP allows the purest possible sound when streaming from the network or internet. And of course Surf is also the perfect compact bookshelf speaker for use with a traditional hi-fi system with simply astonishing reproduction for the size of cabinet.”

Available in glossy black or white, the Surf speaker is sure to fit in any environment at a price of £379.

UK Loudspeaker manufacturer Magnific Acoustics make just two models, Ian Ringstead takes a listen to the company’s £2500 M521 standmount. 

Magnific Acoustics are based in Loughborough and are a husband and wife team keen to let the world know about their unique design. The female side of the team is Natalia Guzakova who, along with her husband Mike, hails from Russia originally but are now happily settled here in the UK. Like many new business they have daytime jobs and this speaker came out of a passion for music and Natalia’s fathers dream/ design idea back in the 1970’s. He felt drive units needed to be light and efficient in order to work at their best and certainly many years ago when low powered valve amps or transistor amps were the norm this certainly helped. Nowadays this isn’t a problem, but efficiency is not a bad thing if the speaker is designed correctly and can handle real world wattages. Modern materials with more powerful magnets mean many more ingenious designs can be conjured up.

The M521 is classed as medium sized and yes it is, but at 480mm high by 280mm wide and 300mm deep it is quite a presence in your average sized living room. When I saw them at Whittlebury they immediately stood out in the small room and on their solid metal stands (not included by the way but which are an essential accessory) certainly take over your room. This is not a criticism of the design, just an observation from an aesthetic point of view. When installed in my living room the same was noticed and my wife did not appreciate the size, but she didn’t complain about the sound (a good thing in my books).

The speaker is necessarily fairly big in order to accommodate the light-weight paper cone bass mid unit (200mm) and silk dome tweeter. The drive units come from an Italian company called 18 Sound, the crossover is first order and Magnific’s own design. They use Jantzen Audio and Clarity Cap components and are very proud of this design. Power handling is 200W and can be used with amps from 5-100W.Impedance is 8 ohms , frequency range is 30Hz to 20kHz with a 95dB /1W/1 metre efficiency. So all in all an easy to drive design that will go loud.

The pair I received were finished in black stained ash real wood veneer and can be ordered in other finishes with cherry and American black walnut as standard options. The fit and finish is excellent and the speaker has a standard black cloth detachable grille. Behind the cabinet are a pair of good quality gold plated binding posts. The tweeter is above the bass/mid unit and the cabinet is front ported with an 80mm opening. If you look down the port you can see a perforated baffle. Magnific state it is an acoustic resistance panel but because it is their own design they prefer to call it an acoustic registration of speakers. I can only surmise that this panel restricts and controls the airflow within the cabinet especially aiding the bass performance.

Magnific Acoustics aren’t the first company to try this type of approach with acoustic resistance, but they certainly seem to have hit upon a clever way of dealing with an age old problem with ported loudspeaker cabinets, i.e. chuffing from the port and poor bass clarity. Ports are there in order to improve sensitivity and aid bass performance but unless the airflow out of the cabinet is controlled properly it has bad side effects. I’ve listened to countless speakers over the years and it is immediately obvious when a designer doesn’t get the cabinet/port design right. Many blame rooms and positioning as the culprits but I firmly believe if the speaker is designed correctly in the first place then it will sound good in most locations unless the room is truly dreadful. My living room is average in size and typical of what most people have or can afford. I have looked at room treatments but practically these are limited and not guaranteed to work.

SOUND

Now to the sound. The first thing that struck me was the control these speakers have over the music, not in a vice like grip way, just composure. They went about their job confidently and it took a few hours listening to really appreciate their qualities to the full. Initially you might think they sound dull but that is down to the recording. When I listened to complex jazz and live recordings like Lee Ritenour or Fourplay the skill of the musicians was obvious and all the intricacies of the interplay between the instruments and backing singers were clearly portrayed. I know these recording extremely well and revelled in the detail and ease at which I could hear everything. Now my sources are not super expensive, a Sony CDPXE 3000 and currently a Project RPM3 with a Sony TAFE3000 amp. The set up sounded good but when I then substituted the Sony amp for my Tisbury Audio passive pre and Meridian 556 power amp the sound took on a whole new perspective. Grip and control were greatly improved which shows a good amp with plenty of current is definitely worth having.

Although these speakers will work with lower powered amps they love a quality amp whether it is valve or transistor. They portray detail very well and are speedy when required, but they don’t shout at you. I could listen to them for hours and not feel fatigued. The sound field always stayed within the boundaries of the speakers but depth was well portrayed. Female vocals were lovely and on Clannad’s albums Maire Brennan’s voice sounded sublime being crystal clear. I love Irish music or Celtic in general, maybe it’s the Irish blood in my veins from my dad’s side (he was born in Dublin of an Irish mother and English father).

I tried rock and other forms of music and like any good product the M521 performed admirably. The speakers cost £2500 ,so they are not cheap, but when you consider the quality of the crossover components along with good drive units and quality Missing Link silver wiring in a very nicely made real wood cabinet then I feel they offer good value.

The design is intended to control the bass output, so it is accurate and may seem lacking on first listening, but persevere and you will be rewarded with clean lows that don’t boom. I have always been an advocate of tight accurate bass and would rather sacrifice some lower end if the speaker sounds better in the room. Too much is greed and we all know what greed does to you if not controlled. I prefer lean and mean like my steaks.

Natalia and Mike have done a great job in wanting to bring to our attention a new design that is truthful and was her father’s original brain child back in the 70’s. Modern methods and materials with sound theory and maths have born fruit I feel. As a new venture Magnific Acoustics have made a good first attempt to enter a very competitive arena. This is an honest design that does not try to impress by being brash but just gets on with producing long term listening pleasure. In a larger listening room they wont seem out of place unlike my smallish living room, but credit due to them that they still worked well. I heartily recommend anyone interested in them to contact Magnific Acoustics and arrange a trial. They will be only too happy to oblige.

Sound quality – 8.7/10 

Build quality – 8.5/10 

Value for money – 8.4/10 

Overall – 8.53/10 

Pros:  

Great sound with good control, nice build, efficient and easy to drive. 

Cons:      

Not small and need good solid stands to work at their best, so factor that in.

Ian Ringstead

Designer’s Comments

Loudspeaker design is a skilful art and there are many ways that a good sound can be achieved. A designer has to contend with many issues such as cabinet resonances, crossover irregularities and  cone break up to name but a few. Many materials can now be used to try and overcome these issues, but getting the balance right requires skill and a lot of trial and error.

At Magnific Acoustics we use a principal we call  Acoustic Registration to get around the resonance problems. These resonances particularly cause problems in the 125Hz and 430Hz  which create drive unit deformation of the cone and stationery wave effects, thereby ruining the sound. A perforated baffle inside the cabinet controls the airflow and allows the drive units to perform at their best.
A fast  light weight paper cone driver is used  for the bass /mid unit that produces a linear response over a wide frequency range. The silk dome tweeter was chosen for its smooth linear response to provide hours of fatigue free listening.

The crossover uses high quality components from Jantzen and Clarity , and silver wiring from The Missing Link for far greater musicality.It is set at 4400Hz first order, being higher than a lot of designs, in order to achieve a good balance and compromise between the tweeter and bass/mid unit that we use.

Mikhail Martynov

Triangle, the French loudspeaker manufacturer are to launch a new range of loudspeakers named Elara. Details of the new loudspeakers are scant at the moment but we do have some photographs of the new range for you to have a look at.

What we do know is that there will be four different models in the Elara range including two floorstanding speakers, a centre speaker and a standmount loudspeaker.

The Floorstanding LN07 is a 2.5 way bass reflex design with a sensitivity of 91dB. It will have a frequency range of 42Hz to 22kHz and an impedence of 8Ohm. Dimensions are 1056 x 198 x 313 cm.

The LN05 will again be a 2.5 way, bass reflex floorstander with a sensitivity of 90dB but is slightly smaller than the LM07 with the dimensions 921 x 165 x 263 cm.

The LN02 is the centre channel speaker aimed at AV set ups and is a 2 way, bass reflex loudspeaker with a sensitivity of 89dB. Frequency response is 65Hz to 22kHz.

The final model in the new range from Triangle is the LN01, a 2 way bass reflex standmount (bookshelf) loudspeaker with a frequency response of 56Hz to 22kHz. It measures 291 x 165 x 291 cm.

Full details, along with pricing and availability will be published the second we have them.

Meridian has announced that two new edition DSP loudspeakers are now ready to order.

The £6,000.00 DSP5200.2 and £17,000.00 DSP7200.2 loudspeakers take Meridian’s proprietary Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology to a new high, with a series of new and improved technological innovations that deliver superior performance in many areas, says the company’s latest press release.

Both new models house not just smart processing, but also amplification, creating a complete audio system in a loudspeaker. Just add a music source, such as a CD player or smartphone, and enjoy. And to create ‘multi-room Meridian style’ connect the company’s £499.00 Media Source 200, which enables wireless control of networked music libraries, as well as brings dedicated iOS apps and Sooloos zone-controlling desktop software.

The key features and benefits of the Meridian DSP5200.2 and DSP7200.2 are:

• Advanced, high-efficiency composite dome tweeter.
• DSP active advantage – self-contained audio system with no amplification equipment needed.
• Centre elevation adjustment technology delivered with Horizontal Centre version.
• Advanced listener controls including bass, treble tilt, listening axis, volume, time-compensated balance and absolute phase.
• Outstanding performance – three powerful, built in 75W amplifiers with DSP provide a maximum output level of 116dB at 1m.
• On-board DSP provides thermal and dynamic bass protection – enables high-level use for prolonged periods of time.
• Features Meridian’s proprietary Enhanced Bass Alignment (EBA) technology.
• Multiple installation applications in home and marine environments enabled by Meridian’s unique Design and Specification Service.

UK Confirmed Recommended Retail Prices

DSP5200.2: RRP £6000.00/DSP5200*HC.2: RRP £3250.00

DSP7200.2: RRP £17000.00/DSP7200*HC.2: RRP £9,000.00

The standard colours are black and white piano lacquer finishes.

Meridian Select bespoke colour service is available at a 5% upcharge.

*HC denotes Centre Channel Digital Active Loudspeaker

Sonus faber has introduced Il Cremonese, the latest creation from the Italian high end loudspeaker manufacturer which will join the Homage Collection in the Sonus faber catalogue. As the newest member of the Homage Collection, Il Cremonese shares many features of both form and function. A three-and-a-half way, floorstanding loudspeaker, Il Cremonese is the result of evolutionary product design, and the adaptation of technologies from the Lilium and other Sonus faber speaker projects. The name Il Cremonese is an homage to Antonio Stradivari, and one of his most famous violins, celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2015. First named after the original owner, and known since the 18th century as Joachim, Stradivari’s violin was renamed “Il Cremonese” in 1961 when it was selected as the first Stradivari to return to the city of Cremona as part of the permanent collection in the Museo del Violino. This is one of the most important instruments in the history of Italian violin making, thanks to its innovative design and proportions, the quality and the depth of sound, and the beautiful materials and finishes used to create it.

Many Sonus faber patents and technologies are implemented in Il Cremonese:

Stealth Reflex System – allowing for a reduction in the dimensions of the internal acoustic volume while providing distortion control, it utilises two orthogonal ports, one on the back for the midwoofer, and the other on the base, facing the floor, for the woofers and infrawoofers.

Z.V.T. (Zero Vibration Transmission) system – used for decoupling the speaker’s cabinet from the floor and the rest of the listening environment, this is implemented in a revolutionary way inside the floor spikes. This new system continues to use new, modern elastomers, and guarantees a further simplification in the construction and aesthetic lightness.

Upper and lower “Dampshelves” – two massive slabs of black brushed Avional, operating as mechanical energy dampers generated by Il Cremonese’s powerful drivers.

“Staggered Low Frequencies Emission Technology” system – used for the first time since “the Sonus faber” project, it optimises the performance of the integrated infrawoofers.

The driver cones are designed entirely in-house, the tweeter is the Sonus faber Arrow Point DAD (Damped Apex Dome), the midrange is a Sonus faber M18 XTR-04, the woofers are the Sonus faber W18XTR-12 (a scaled-down version of the Lilium woofers), and the W22XTR-16 infrawoofers are a new project from the Arcugnano factory. The crossover network utilizes the innovative “Paracross topology” for superior results.

Il Cremonese is characterised by an innovative cabinet with five sides, a “Rhomboidal diamond design” which optimises the structural solidity of the wooden cabinets with a diamond shape Inspired by the shape of Lilium, Il Cremonese introduces clean lines and a, minimal, and sharp design. Sonus faber say ‘This new and atypical form represents an evolution towards technological and visual innovation, simultaneously maintaining the historic milestones that marked the history of violin making, as well as the history of the Sonus faber brand itself.’

Lacquered walnut wood, tempered glass, leather and brushed black aluminium are the materials used and Il Cremonese is available in the classical Sonus faber finishes of RED and WALNUT.

Il Cremonese will be available to non-US Sonus faber dealers and distributors in November 2015, and to US and Canadian dealers in early 2016. The suggested retail price is € 31250 pair (VAT not included).

London based dealer Sonata has been appointed as the exclusive UK distributor for Goldmund, the Swiss luxury audio manufacturer.

Goldmund has taken 35 years of technological expertise and adapted it to launch a completely new range of wireless speakers, offering everything from a compact desktop system, design conscious lifestyle models, all the way up to the iconic limited edition Apologue Anniversary.

Every speaker has been engineered to include all the technological developments made by the Goldmund research team. This includes the implementation of their Proteus speaker modelling programme and Leonardo2 technology to create speakers that are “perfectly aligned for amplitude, phase and time within very powerful DSP filters”.

Internal amplification using the very latest version of the Telos circuit, Alize D to A conversion, mechanical grounding and aluminium construction are also included in each product.

All Goldmund speakers can either play music directly from a computer using the Goldmund USB dongle or from other sources connected to a Goldmund ‘hub’ such as the Mimesis 11 or Talisman.

As a result of these shared technologies, the Goldmund range of speakers has an extremely consistent musical voice and quality. The only things that improve as you go up the range are the low frequency extension and maximum possible sound pressure levels.

Sonata is delighted to have been specifically chosen by Goldmund to represent their unique products in the UK and has recently exhibited the Prologos wireless speakers to great acclaim at this years’ London Design Festival.

UK Prices range from £5,000 to £400,000

Quad’s forthcoming Z Series loudspeaker range is set for an exclusive preview at The Hi-Fi Show Live 2015 this weekend. Due to launch around the turn of the year, the range sits above the new S Series in terms of price.

The Z-4 floorstanding speaker will be demonstrated at the show, driven by Quad’s all-new Artera components – the Artera Play CD player/DAC/preamplifier and Artera Stereo power amplifier. The Artera electronics will also be used to drive a pair of Quad’s famous electrostatic speakers.

Vincent at Total DAC has been in touch to tell Hifi Pig about a new loudspeaker that is now on demo in the company’s high efficiency dem’ room of Totaldac in North Western France.

The speakers are made by Dechalvaux, a new high-end speaker manufacturer from France.
It uses a field coil full range driver mounted in a piece of solid wood. You can contact TotalDAC to arrange a listen at their premises.

Specifications 
Efficiency: 100dB/1W/1m
Power: 50W
Height: 2.15m
Width: 750mm
Weight: 75kg

Price: 80000€ a pair

French ‘Pro Audio’ manufacturer Amadeus announced during the 38th edition of the Paris HI-FI Show on October 17 and 18 that their new ‘Philharmonia’ speakers are shipping. The Philharmonia was displayed as a ‘concept-speaker’ during the last Frankfurt Prolight + Sound and Munich High End Society trade shows.

The new speakers were initially created specifically for the Philharmonie de Paris recording and mastering studios and designed by Michel DeLuc, Amadeus’ Director of Research & Development, along with world-renown architect Jean Nouvel, who designed the new Philharmonie de Paris concert hall.

Bernard BYK, co-founder and CEO of Amadeus, says, “Imagine a reference sound system with exceptional design, ergonomics and acoustics, as a kind of consecration! Jean Nouvel’s imagination, exuberance and creative genius, combined with Michel DeLuc’s engineering, brought a brilliant solution to life. Amadeus especially praises tradition, and the new speakers combine innovation as well as timeless beauty; christened ‘Philharmonia’, they embody the know-how, the creativity, and the values with which Amadeus has been building its history for more than 35 years.”  

The new Philharmonia 2-way, self-powered speakers feature a 28-mm soft-domed tweeter and a custom 8-inch woofer, and boast analogue and digital inputs with a customized integrated DAC and an amplitude linearity range (±2dB) from 43 Hz to 22 KHz. The high-frequency driver features very low dielectric losses and high thermal conductivity, loaded behind a fast exponential waveguide machined in wood.

The cabinets are custom manufactured from layered Birch and stand 1.6 meters tall, the casing contains the electronics inside the lower part of the speaker enclosure. Each speaker is comprised of 547 wood veneers. Each speaker features a unique hybrid laminar port using progressive termination for reproducing low frequencies.

Philharmonia is bi-amplified using two dedicated digital custom-built amplifiers, each amp delivers 700 Watts under 8 ohms. These proprietary PPM-PWM fixed frequency class-D amplifiers are equipped with a high-efficiency switched mode power supply. Each speaker channel is under control by a powerful, 64-bit digital processing unit capable of a 118 dB dynamic range. Each of these on-board DSP units include a module dedicated to managing core system parameters including system EQ, time alignment between sections, limiting, transducer thermal protection. This level of control makes Philharmonia fully protected and able to operate at the full extent of its abilities. 

With line-level XLR analog input, Philharmonia lets users choose their own DAC, while at the same time, given that digital-to-analogue conversion should happen at the latest possible stage in an electro-acoustical monitoring system, Philharmonia also integrates two digital inputs/outputs conforming to the AES3 digital audio data transfer standard. These are coupled with a 24-bit/96kHz converter placed as close as possible to the electronic amplifiers, thus working together in perfect combination. The speakers also feature an RJ-45 network input allowing remote control of its DSP processor for optimal adjustment via dedicated software to match the speakers to the acoustical properties of each listening space. The software is an app that runs on Apple Macintosh and iPad, and Microsoft Windows computers.

Oak Audio are a British company making the interesting Hurricane, transmission line loudspeaker that costs £599 and uses latest generation Mark Audio Alpair 7 full-range drive unit. Dominic Marsh puts them through their paces. 

I very much liken hifi to good food, in that a good sounding hifi system is the equivalent of a tasty meal cooked superbly with skill using simple fresh ingredients, which to me tastes far better than a complicated menu with a plethora of ingredients from indeterminate origins served up cold, no matter who has cooked it.

Oak Audio are a newly formed  British company which seems to have grasped that simple notion of taking a few in number of fresh ingredients and creating a dish that satisfies the taste buds and the hunger in one go without adding superfluous flavourings or padding to the dish.

CONSTRUCTION

How simple do you want this product to be?  A machined MDF carcass, painted in whatever colour you may wish for, a single driver per cabinet, no crossover, no grilles, one pair of binding posts per speaker?  The real value of this speaker however, is the design implementation.

The pair submitted for review arrived in a deep pink colour and I suspect this was a Hifi Pig  plot come challenge with Oak Audio to send us a pair of speakers in the corporate pink colour we are so well renowned for, or it’s a standard catalogue colour of theirs by sheer coincidence?  Oak Audio say that they can take a colour sample, a Dulux paint name or number, or a Pantone colour code and match it exactly. If however you require a veneered finish or a high gloss lacquer, then these are not offered as an option on the Oak Audio website.

The cabinet itself is a folded transmission line design with an additional baffle arrangement within the cabinet, with a full width rear exit throat that is a slot cut into the cabinet.

The real stars of this show are the diminutive Alpair metal coned drivers and you will probably be doing as I did, asking yourself again and again how such a small full range drive unit can produce the sounds that it is capable of producing. The drive units are wired with Audioquest cables so Oak Audio say, although the construction and materials of same is not specified.

A bespoke stand is available from Oak Audio designed to fit the Hurricanes exactly and is an extra cost option. These were not supplied to Hifi Pig for the review.

Price at time of testing:   £599.00 per pair.

SOUND QUALITY

I have met Alpair drivers before, albeit in another design incarnation entirely and that design needed to be fine tuned for the room they were to be installed in. I was hoping that the Oak Audio Hurricanes were not that critical in what environment they were going to be used in and thankfully no adjustments or tuning tweaks were needed at all when installed into my listening room. Not having the correct Oak Audio speaker stands available, I sat them onto a pair of black 24 inch Atacama stands which didn’t look all that elegant, but they served their purpose admirably for the listening sessions, taking the drivers up to approximately ear level.

First impressions fresh out of their box was very pleasant and I wasn’t too fussy about setup and placement either, so they ended up around 10cm from the rear wall and no side walls to reflect from in a moderately damped listening room. Some full range driver speakers can sound rather peaky especially around the mid range, vocals in particular, but the Hurricanes produced a realistic and coherent sound right across the board from bass right up to upper treble with no discernable peaks at all. Close your eyes and you would be hard pressed to tell by listening alone if there was indeed a single driver full range speaker in front of you, although the slight beaming effect of the sound in the sweet spot might have given the game away.

Moving on to some actual music then, I spun Fink’s “Wheels Beneath My Feet” live album in the CD player. The opening bars on the track “Biscuits” has some delicate strikes on the ride cymbal and my fear with that metal coned driver is that it would be a shade over emphasized and sound just a bit too metallic, but no, it was recreated very accurately and full of subtle timbres.  Throughout that whole first  track on the album we have a repetitive single kick drum beat with the hard face on the beater and the sceptic in me again was doubting whether that little Alpair driver could deliver the weight and heft of that instrument, but once again it proved my fears were entirely unfounded. The real test of bass performance though comes in the track “Sort of Revolution” on this album where the drummer really does drive into the Floor Tom with power and force, so there is a pounding slam to it and of course the speakers have to have a fast excursion to it’s travel and have quick recovery too, otherwise the speakers simply won’t convey that energy in the way it ought to.  Don’t ask me how the Alpair driver does it, but it does, presumably the way it interacts with the enclosure it is mounted in. Oak Audio say it extends down to 50Hz and I wouldn’t argue with that claim at all and I could detect no chuffing at all from the rear facing port either.

This album has the tracks recorded at various venues around Europe and each one has a different ambience which is clearly audible. Some tracks sound almost like they are recorded in a large venue with the reverberations echoing around the walls and others are more intimate with a damped almost soft background. Coupled with that is the refined imaging and sound staging the Hurricanes ably demonstrate. Not quite holographic, not quite walk through and around realism, but a very good portrayal nonetheless, with the images hanging in space and not wavering, staying put where they should be.

On then to the acid test of what the Hurricanes would do and into the CD player went Porcupine Tree’s “Deadwing” album. This album takes no prisoners with it’s raw unbridled energy and it quickly became apparent that Hurricane owners are not the breed of audiophile that would play this kind of music, or indeed any kind of heavy rock music, much as an owner of a thoroughbred race horse wouldn’t set the animal to plough fields because it simply isn’t suited to that task. Deadwing is a coarse and uncouth  recording and the Hurricanes simply let you the listener know that it was exactly that because they dished it up in it’s entirety, warts and all which quickly became fatiguing. This isn’t a criticism of the Hurricanes, it merely points to the fact that they excel in other areas, so I set myself the task of finding out what those areas were.

Some Loreena McKennit seemed a good choice at that moment, so into the CD player went her “An Ancient Muse” album.  Loreena’s voice simply soared out into space with a refreshing cleanliness and vibrancy, so the Hurricane’s were thriving on this kind of music, the simplicity of textures and crispness suiting them admirably. Spurred on by that, I then chose to play some Jazz.  “What did he just say?”  He said “Jazz, which he never normally plays or mentions in reviews”.  Dominic also played some Classical, but let’s deal with one shock at a time please, with no disrespect to all classical music fans out there, but it isn’t a genre of music that enervates me personally. Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” went into the CD player and that was a delight too.  Saxophone had a real breathy and earthy rasp to it, the piano had a solid depth to the sound and the drums had some real crisp impact and rawness which was very beguiling and much to my surprise had me listening more than once, where even the once is usually more than enough for me in any one session. Overall, the sound was very much alive, full of subtle energy and spatial pinpoints which were very easy to follow with the Hurricanes and I don’t think there are many multiple driver and crossover equipped speakers that can master that level of refined simplicity in their presentation.  Next, some classical music and the keep it simple rule applied here too. Large orchestral works were somewhat diffuse and it wasn’t an easy task as a listener to keep the various orchestra sections separated and in their rightful place in the soundstage, but move to trios, quartets and quintets, then the Hurricanes excelled with an uncomplicated and uncluttered yet still refined presentation.

Finally for completeness more than anything else, I played Derrin Nauendorf’s “Live At The Boardwalk” album and as the title suggests, it is recorded live with his acoustic guitar, a set of drums and that’s it in total, apart from Derrin’s singing, which at times is executed as well as a cat with it’s tail caught in a cat flap. That is of course no matter, as what the man can do with an acoustic guitar that is the focus of this album. Close mic’d and well put down in the recording, it brings out the visceral energy of this instrument and the Oak Audio Hurricane’s did a fabulous job or relaying that sound directly to you, with rich deep textures and tones from the instrument’s body. Finger fret work on the guitar was real enough to set your teeth on edge and each string’s vibrations and harmonics delivered with crisp taut precision.

CONCLUSION

If you are looking for a loudspeaker that handles heavy rock music with ease, then the Oak Audio Hurricanes are not going to satisfy that desire, so let’s not pretend otherwise.  As you wouldn’t put paraffin into a Ferrari’s fuel tank for it to run at it’s peak performance, so too would the Hurricanes flounder with reproducing rock concert pressure levels, so don’t even think about it, it will only end in tears.

They do however love clean simple music that’s well recorded and gives it polish and refinement that will delight.  Feed them some acoustic, Jazz, solo artists, simple orchestral, small ensemble and chamber music and they are in their true element, so their benefits then have far outweighed their drawback in not excelling with bigger scale music and hard rock. Horses for courses, as they say.

Build quality: 7.8/10

Sound quality: 8.7/10

Value for money: 8.5/10

Overall:          8.3/10

PROS
Choice of any colour
Seamless sound quality
Good value for money

CONS
Restricted in music genres

Dominic Marsh

Designer’s Notes

Technically, the Hurricane is a standmount transmission line loudspeaker employing the latest generation Mark Audio Alpair 7 full-range drive unit. The Alpair series drivers are at the cutting edge of contemporary full-range driver technology and incorporate a number of features that are not found in any other units. All components apart from the magnet are designed in-house, from the ground up. The cone is made of a low-mass magnesium-aluminium alloy, multiformed into a very shallow profile to maximise off-axis dispersion and ensure the drivers provide a well-balanced sound across a wide listening window, far removed from the notorious ‘beaming’ of high frequencies most full-range drivers suffer from. The suspension and voice-coil also provide exceptional linear excursion. Where many full-range drivers have less than 0.2mm of linear travel before distortion rapidly increases, the Alpair 7 has over 8mm point-to-point travel and a unique arrestor, which provides both an audible warning, and physically limits travel to prevent damage occurring. Despite their large excursion abilities, the total moving mass of the Alpair 7 is less than 4 grams, and the coil, suspension and cone are designed to maximise resonant sensitivity, allowing low-level signals to be properly reproduced. Like other full-range drivers, it is also a point source.

The Hurricane cabinet is designed to extract the maximum bandwidth from the Alpair 7 in a compact package with interesting proportions, and is optimised for general listening in small – medium sized listening rooms. Unlike many standmount loudspeakers, the Hurricane is deeper than it is tall, to reduce the visual impact and minimise the baffle area. Coupled with the inherent driver response and the gentle roundovers, this helps ensure audible diffraction effects are minimised. Internally, the Hurricane enclosure packs a highly tapered transmission line / damped quarter-wave into its compact dimensions.

There is probably more myth, misunderstandings and outright nonsense associated with transmission lines than any other type of loudspeaker enclosure. The name itself, derived from the electrical transmission line, is unfortunate. First popularised by Bailey in the title of an article written in the 1960s, it has become a ‘catch-all’ phrase, and is often employed to describe speakers that are functionally the exact opposites of one another. A pure acoustic transmission line is a cabinet designed to provide the flattest possible impedance, with no other design considerations whatsoever. The term is rarely used so narrowly however, and has come to be used to describe most cabinets that use some variation of quarter-wave resonant characteristics. A few common of the most common myths are:

-A TL is tuned to 1/4 wavelength of the driver’s resonant frequency.
Not true. A TL / quarter-wave should be tuned to achieve the specific design goals, like any other vented enclosure

-A TL should have proportions that are multiples of the driver’s surface area (Sd)
Not true. Driver surface area has no direct relationship to the cross section of a transmission line / quarter-wave cabinet 

-Long-hair wool is the optimal type of damping material to use in a TL
Not true. There is nothing mystical about long-hair wool. Long hair wool is an effective damping material, but all damping materials possess a different set of benefits and trade-offs. Other types work perfectly well

-Damping material significantly slows the speed of sound in a TL, and this can be up to 50%
Not true. The speed of sound is not reduced to such an extent. 10% is the maximum encountered. 

-The tuning frequency of a TL is purely created by axial length
Not true. Acoustic length and physical length are different things. A highly tapered (narrowing toward the terminus) TL will have a lower resonant frequency than an untapered or expanding line of the same physical length. 

The Hurricane standmount uses a highly tapered, lightly damped line, exiting to the rear of the cabinet, with the driver offset from the end of the line. The high taper ratio and offset driver position provide a low tuning frequency with tight control over the driver, while minimising unwanted harmonic resonances of the line. The impedance load is relatively unreactive, allowing the speakers to be used with a wide range of amplifiers.

S.Lindgren

Tangent Audio’s association with highly renowned designer Jacob Jensen continues with the launch of a new Bluetooth portable wireless speaker system.

Tangent’s new Fjord Mini is a compact, wireless speaker with a “big sound and stylish design, using high-quality materials, finger-touch control and wireless connectivity to unite form and function” the company’s latest press release tells us.

The speaker features two full range drive units and a passive radiator powered by a stereo 20watt amp. It can be mains powered/charged using the dock supplied or from it’s internal battery for up to 8 hours of portable use. EDR and A2DP Bluetooth with NFC pairing are provided, together with HFP for hands free call operation with a smartphone.

The Fjord Mini will be available in the UK during November and will have a price of £149.95.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• System output: 2 x 10Watt max. Stereo
• Speakers: 2 x 2.5” Full range + passive radiator
• Battery (built-in): Lithium-ion battery, operating time to 8 hours
• Input: Long range Bluetooth including EDR + A2DP
• Dimensions (HxWxD): 210x90x90 mm (Including charge dock)
• Features: NFC Pairing and touch sensitive control
• Hands-free function (HFP)

Included in the box:

• Charge docking station
• Charge cable
• Power supply

Loudspeaker manufacturer Wilson says they are excited to announce its third all-new loudspeaker in as many years.

Like the Alexia and the Sabrina that preceded it, Alexx will “push the proverbial envelope in the areas of coherence, dynamic contrast, and musicality for its category”.

Within the Alexx platform, Wilson Audio continues its exploration of low-resonance composites and cabinet geometries.

The new speakers will have new drivers within modular configurations.

Alexx will be available in the first quarter of 2016.

No details on cost or final specifications as yet.

Hifi Pig goes Behind The Brands with Russell Kauffman, the owner and designer at Russell K, makers of the well received Red 50 and Red 100 loudspeakers.

Your History 

How did you get into/what was your first job in the industry?

When I was 13 my mother told me to get a Saturday job, she was thinking Burtons. I could not bear the thought of measuring gentlemen’s private areas so I took my girlfriend to Tottenham Court Road and got a job in Lasky’s selling Headphones and Cartridges

Who or what was the biggest influence on your career?

Robin Marshall (Epos) he believed in doing the right thing regardless. An honourable person and a very talented designer

Proudest moment/product you’re most proud of?

Red 100 the first Russell K product. To do it my way and have so many people enjoy the result

What product do you wish you had never conceived/launched?

StudioPower DMS series. StudioPower was a name attached to speakers imported from Denmark. The first series called MC was a success similar to Cerwin Vega ie power speakers sporting a lens over the tweeter and strong graphics. The DMS was a more traditional type of speaker that just failed

Tell Hifi Pig readers about your next project and what they can expect in the future from you and your company.

Red 150 the first Floorstanding loudspeaker going into production as I write. It is based on the Red 100 taking the sound to the next level. After that I am prepared to listen to Dealers, Distributors, Reviewers and your readers. I want people to connect with the Brand and be part of the journey, certainly it would have blown me away to think when I was younger I could influence my favourite companies

You and your system

What was your very first system?

Garrard AP-76/ Shure M44E/ Metrosound ST-20 MK 2/ Celestion Ditton 120

Tell us about your system history and the way it has developed to the system you have today.

First change was the amp to a Sansui AU-101 which did sound better .Then the cheapest deck that would take an SME 3009 S2 , that turned out to be an ERA MK 6 from France it was belt driven (In those days a Linn was judged by its rumble /wow and flutter). My Saturday job was at KJ Leisuresound in London where there was so much to like. Next up was the amp an Amcron  IC 150 pre and D60 power which did sound good before my next change, either Spendor BC 3 or IMF Professional Monitor MK3 Improved, both very big for a 3 bed  semi and much to my parents shock I had both at home at the same time to decide. I went for the Spendor as they had more mid focus which I preferred to the IMF’s deeper bass. Final change the ERA/SME went for a Denon DP-3000 with Mayware Formula 4 low mass arm to go with a Sonus Blue high compliance cartridge. At that time KJ had not discovered Linn or Naim. Travel and marriage meant the equipment had to go and I started married life with Linn LP 12 Valhalla /Ittok/K9, Nytech CA202 and SKS Intaglio speakers from my first company. The speakers were a 2 way sealed box design using Sen Lab drivers that later became known as Dynaudio. I have to say it was a wonderfully simple system and great fun to listen to. Upgrades included an Ekos tonearm and Audio Technica OC-9 cartridge.  A Lecson Quattra amp which was very unusual in that it is a Bi Amp in one box the size of a Naim Nait 5 with a fantastic high-end sound…if it could drive the speakers. It was only 4 x 19 watts

What component/product do you miss the most/wish you had never got rid of?

None I would love to listen to the old stuff to see how it compares to the systems I listen to today

How often do you listen to music?

Almost every day

Best system (or single component) you have ever heard (no brands you represent please…!)

At the Absolute Sound Magazine demonstrated by the late Harry Pearson. Linn LP 12 with a Rabco Parallel tracking arm, Koetsu Onyx Cartridge, Audio Research SP 6C pre, Threshold Stasis 2 power amp (the Krell of its day) driving the magnificent Infinity IRS loudspeakers – 4 columns, nearly 2 metres high line source design. The best system I have heard to date

The state of the industry

What’s your view on the valve renaissance of the past 20 years or so?

Fantastic! I love equipment that is fun to use and fun to listen to

Vinyl resurgence… what are your thoughts?

Wonderful ! It’s connecting people to hifi and music.

Is CD a dying format?

I hope so, it’s not about chopping music into pieces and reassembling it which is digital and here to stay. The CD never did what was claimed (“perfect music forever”). The discs were and still are too fragile, as are the cases. I am fed up with CDs that don’t play and are wrecked because of wear.

What are you views on the state of the industry/where is it going/what will it look like in 5 years/what will typical systems look like?/What will happen to prices?/What will happen to the high end – will it carry on regardless?

It will carry on as too much money has been invested by large companies for it not to. I think there will be consumer mass market type products and an audiophile business, which will in my view become more stand alone as it was in the early days. How big that business is will depend on quality music (performers as well as recording quality)and if the Industry will accept that more than one person or company can have a good idea. The Industry needs to be seen as “cool” from the outside

Digital downloads, what do you think their impact has been on the way people listen to music?

I think it helps more people to listen to music so that can only be good

How do we engage young people, the audiophiles of the future?

Cut out the bull s..t , build products that are fun to use, cool to look at and (what a surprise) sound good

Online shopping’s effect on the retail industry?

To me it’s not good. As an example, the only way I can find out if Dunlop is better on my car than Pirelli is to buy them. That is what will happen if we lose retail shops and that will harm the Industry

What are the industry’s biggest con(s)?

Products with high prices and poor sound justified by some bulls..t story

The way you work

Presuming the measurements are fine, what do you listen for when assessing products?

I want the sound to be real. If a live performer is in the room it is impossible to read a magazine. Try the same test with a hifi system it’s amazing how many fail

Your sound preference -‘Smooth, listenable musicality’, ‘forward, driving, ‘foot-tapping’, involving sound’ or ‘detailed neutrality and transparency’?

Same answer as above. I think many buzz words are used to excuse poor sound ie “foot tapping” is part of music, but if the sound is hard and bright it’s not real and not satisfying

Turntable preferences…direct drive, belts, Idlers or what?

Doesn’t matter if it’s good it’s good

Your preference – Full-range floorstanders or freestanding mini monitors with a sub?

I have heard both great small speakers and large speakers. The same is true for terrible speakers – they can be all shapes and sizes. The worst types chase one parameter at the expense of all else…it’s very detailed but the sound will cut your head off. The other type I don’t like is the corporate speaker based on technical features that sound flat and boring.

It’s all about the music, man…

What is your favourite recording?

Don’t have one

Tell us about your 3 most trusted test recordings.

For design I don’t have trusted recordings. I have learnt that the recording may be true, but how it sounds to me changes as the brain is a processor. Any recording I hear too many times makes me feel uncomfortable, so my judgement is impaired

What are your most embarrassing recordings/guilty musical pleasures.

Abba but only at the weekend when nobody is around

Having safely ushered  your loved ones out of the house as it is burning down to the ground, you ignore all standard safety advice and dash back inside to grab just one recording – what is it?

For me it’s about the moment. Right now I am enjoying the collection of Doobie Brothers Albums I bought recently. A month ago it would have been Beethoven conducted by Von Karajan

Guy at Pure Sound recently contacted Hifi Pig to tell us about the UK arrival of HECO DIREKT which is something of an unconventional 2 way stereo loudspeaker system. 

The Heco Direkt is a large 2 Way system with high sensitivity and has an attractive, shallow profile cabinet with wide baffle & rounded edges.

The enclosure is substantially built with multiple bracing and has custom designed, cast alloy feet to provide stable base & help positioning for time alignment.

The speakers feature an efficient 27cm midbass driver with Kraft paper diaphragm & alloy chassis partnered with a 28mm silk dome tweeter with powerful double magnet & horn loading.

The elaborate phase optimized crossover uses close toleranced components with the speakers having a linearised & constant impedance characteristic which should present an easy load for valve amplifiers

Direkt features twin down-firing bass reflex ports with rounded ends designedfor minimal turbulence and easier room placement.

In recalling a fondness for the easier sounding, generous qualities of the better loudspeakers of the 1950’s and 60’s, Heco have revisited the format of a wide baffle, 2 way loudspeaker with a large main driver. The development of this driver has been made easier through the use of powerful modeling & simulation software allied to far more precise measurement systems (Klippel) than would ever have been available in the 20^th Century. The wide baffle with its radiused edges gives a lower baffle step frequency and fewer harmful diffraction effects, say Heco whilst the high sensitivity & benign load characteristics make the Direkt an obvious partner for lower powered, high quality amplifiers either using valves or transistor circuitry.

SPECIFICATIONS

Principle: 2 way bass reflex

Driver Complement: 27cm (11″) bass mid and 28mm  silk dome tweeter with horn loading

Power Handling (RMS/Max): 200/320W

Impedance: 4-8 Ohm

Bandwidth: 25-28000 hz

Crossover Frequency: 2350 Hz

Recommended Amplifier power: 10-320W

Sensitivity: 95 dB/W

Cabinet Finish: White/Silver & Black/Black semi matt lacquer

Dimensions (WxDxH): 440 x 998 x 397 mm (including feet)

Weight: 25.8 Kg

UK RRP £2499.95